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Sunday, 31 August 2014

As usual, not actually on a Saturday. However I spent the day moving these guys forward, and I'm quite chuffed with them. Still got to finish them off with crew figures, basing and a Matt coat of varnish.

Friday, 22 August 2014

One of the objectives I had from playing YD last weekend was to use the game as a boost to my painting mojo - as such for the first time in a long time I broke my own rule about fielding unpainted models. The plan was to move the models from the gaming table to the painting table.

The targets for this little operation were the Daimlers and Churchill AVsRE. Work started on Saturday night and continued through the week. As of today, they are ready for their Army Painter coat.

I also took on board Dai's comments about the Humber LRC's dust coating being a little over the top. So I gave them a quick wash of Russian Uniform Green (Vallejo Model Color 70924).

I might need to do something about the wheels, but they are a little toned down over how they were previously.

One of the things I changed with the Churchills and the Daimlers was to start using Vallejo Model Color German Grey (70.995) instead of the usual black coat for the tracks and tyres. Other than that, these models could have been painted a lot faster than they were, but my busy weeknight schedule meant it was today before I would apply the gunmetal.

There is no shading or highlighting on these models as that is done post Army Painter coat.

Turret hatches are all open as with these being recce vehicles I feel it's fitting that they all have crew figures. The command vehicle may have 2 - space dependent.

Unlike the Bofors guns I finished recently, I have really enjoyed painting these. The models are all from Battlefront so are a mix of resin and metal. Stowage on the models has been added and is mainly from the Skytrex range of vehicle stowage. Radio aerials will be added post AP varnish.

Basing wise I'm thinking the Daimlers will fit on medium bases and the Churchills large bases. However, if they are too big I will be putting in an order from warbases again. Another couple of Churchills are planned as I would love to try a conversion with fascine bundles... I'm not quite up to trying the bridge carrier option, however!

Sunday, 17 August 2014

During my Flames of War game yesterday I took some time out to quickly check in with the other two tables that were running.

The first was a 15mm Sci Fi game - I think called 'Fast and Dirty'. The guys playing it seemed to have fun and it's something I have thought about getting into myself in the past.

The second was a 10mm Napoleonic game pitching Russians against British using the Black Powder rules. These seem to be a lot faster playing than the usual General De Brigade - but the game ended early due to some sort of disagreement over something in the rules. Bit of silliness really as it's just toy soldiers - if you don't agree with a rule interpretation, roll a dice to decide the matter and move on. If you don't agree with the rules, don't start the game and argue all the way through it! If you disagree with a rule that's in the rulebook, bite your tongue till the games finished then talk about it! Simple!

Some nice looking figures and a nicely set up tables and just goes to show that the club plays everything from Naps to WW2 to Sci Fi.

A rare Saturday to myself (due to A having a day out in Edinburgh), so Davey and YD picked me up for a day out at the Carluke and Law wargames club.

Myself and YD had agreed to play a 1000pt game of Flames of War, using our respective late war lists. As usual I decided to go with my Highland Division list from the Overlord book. YD went for a Fusilier list from one of his books (I think from Atlantik Wall).

His list consisted of (roughly):

Füsilierkompanie HQ (352.)

p.33

2
1

Cmd SMG team
Panzerschreck team

70

Combat Platoons

352. Füsilier Platoon

p.34

1
6

Cmd Panzerknacker SMG team
MG team

185

352. Füsilier Platoon

p.34

1
4

Cmd MG team
MG team

130

352. Füsilier Platoon

p.34

1
4

Cmd MG team
MG team

130

Weapons Platoons

Füsilier Machine-gun Platoon (352.)

p.35

1
2

Cmd SMG team
MG42 HMG

70

Regimental Support

Füsilier Regimental Anti-tank Gun Platoon (352.)

p.37

1
2
2

Cmd SMG team
7.5cm PaK40 gun
3-ton truck

110

Support Platoons

StuG Platoon (352.)

p.39

3

StuG G

285

Luftwaffe Anti-aircraft Assault Platoon

Reluctant Trained Allied Platoonp.229

1
2

Cmd SMG team
Luftwaffe 8.8cm FlaK36 gun

95

Company Points:

1075

We decided to play a defensive mission (No Retreat) as my army included a Breaching Group - meaning I had 'Always Attacks'. On the picture above (I forgot to take a 1st turn picture, so this one is 2nd or 3rd turn) YD is deployed on the right with his 2 Fusilier platoons and the MG platoon dug in and defending the road line and his 88's on the hill.

My army consisted of:

Rifle Company HQ (51st)

p.143

1
1
1

Cmd Rifle team
Cmd Rifle Bagpiper team
Troop Carrier

40

Combat Platoons

Rifle Platoon (51st)

p.144

1
1
1
6
2

Cmd Rifle/MG team
PIAT team
Light Mortar team
Rifle/MG team
Defrocked Priest APC

160

Rifle Platoon (51st)

p.144

1
1
1
6
2

Cmd Rifle/MG team
PIAT team
Light Mortar team
Rifle/MG team
Defrocked Priest APC

This was a bit of a strange army for me - it was mainly designed to include things I had just painted, had still to paint or just had not used. Built around the backbone of the 2 infantry platoons in Kangeroos and the breaching group. I figured YD might include some big cats, so took the 17 pounders. The Artillery I took for a change over the mortars, Bofors because they have just been painted and never used. Recce because I had the Humbers to paint (now started) and breaching group because I like my flail models and wanted to encourage myself to start the Churchills (now started). I also added M5 Halftracks on a whim, taking me up to 1025 points - but YD was fine with this as he had re-jigged his infantry platoons to give himself 3 platoons rather than 2 he had on his original list.

My army on the day - I'm afraid I didn't get a picture of all of YD's
stuff - mainly because he already had it deployed on the table!

I decided to make use of the Night Attack special rule the Bits have - mainly because those 88's terrify me. Plus we always forget about the national rules and the Night Attack rule fits with my Totalise Highlanders theme.

Given the layout of the table I deployed my AA platoon in the centre (where it did nothing the whole game - facing off against dug in, concealed and gone to ground Veteran troops...), with my breaching group on the left flank. My infantry, the recce and the A/T guns on the right planning to use the forest for cover to get into assault range of the 88's hill. Behind them sat the 25 pounders. The Churchill AVsRE went up the centre.

My main attack was going to be with the infantry in their Kangeroos supported by the Recce to help remove Gone to Ground and provide pinning fire. The 17 pounders were to follow up and deploy where they could cover the infantry from the StuG's I suspected would be wandering about.

You'll note the two Kangeroos at the edge of the forest. I had debated sending them via the forest, but decided to send them left around it. A conversation with YD made me doubt my choice, so I decided 'bugger it, they can cut through those trees!'. The Kangeroos spent the whole game bogging their way slowly through this tiny forest, only contributing by one of them laying down 50 cal fire that supported a later assault. I could have deployed the infantry from them, but kept them buttoned up as a ready reserve.

In the center my Churchills moved slowly closer.

The aim was to use the Petard Mortar on those dug in infantry - but I only used the MG's as moving and shooting at dug in, GtG, Concealed Vets with a RoF 1 gun made moving and shooting impossible!

By my turn 3 I had moved up my assault troops close enough to be ready to disembark, so out they popped.

In YD's turn 3 the sun failed to rise, but in the improving light his 88's managed to get enough of a bead on my Recce platoon (perhaps drawn by the tracer from their MG's shooting up the infantry to their front) and take out the two Humber LRC's. His infantry also managed to take a couple of squads of my Highlanders out as they moved up to the start line for their assault.

YD also managed to bring on his StuG's at this point, choosing to place them on the table edge where they were facing my infantry and recce.

The StuG's opening volley (again, a good roll on the vision distance chart made my troops visible) took out one of my Humber A/C's - however, the platoon passed it's motivation check to remain on the table.

The darkness proved to be a hindrance for both of us, as it seemed to take until daylight (at the start of my turn 4) for my FOO to realise he was looking at a brick wall rather than out a window, and call down fire on those nasty 88's - killing one and pinning the platoon.

The other notable thing that happened on my turn 4 was the 17 pounders disembarked and swung into action. Only one gun had LoS to the StuG's, and managed to knock one of the predatory little Jerry blighters out.

Lots of shooting at the German Infantry at the base of the 88's hill (including from the Churchills, which I brought over from the center) preceded an assault, which failed to connect due to the only close enough highlander team falling to defensive fire. YD decided to counter attack, but his troops were put off by the skirl of pipes and failed to cause any damage. The Highlanders counter attack was not so gentle, wiping out the majority of the Fusilier platoon and causing it to fail motivation and vanish from the table. The HMG platoon also broke off, leaving the highlanders on the base of the hill.

In YD's turn he got his Pak 40's on, and had them deploy facing my Sherman Flails. His 88's unpinned and destroyed one Churchill and bailed the other - Petard Mortars unfired!

His StuG's moved up and killed one infantry team but missed the 17 pounders. His remaining Fusilier platoon and the company HQ arrived from reserve alongside the PaK 40's, but were concealed by a wood and moved forward to protect the hill objective (and counter my marauding Highlanders).

Fire this turn from the Pak 40's destroyed one flail tank and bailed the troop command tank. These Shermans had so far spent the game shooting with no effect at the dug in, GtG, Concealed Veteran infantry... YD's HMG platoon had unpinned and killed one of my infantry teams.

However, in my turn revenge was swift. While the FOO called down arty on the remaining 88, finishing it off, the 17 pounders put three shots into the two remaining StuG's, knocking out the platoon. My bailed Sherman crew sorted themselves out and the two tanks left in the troop knocked out both the PaK 40's. My highlanders at the base of the hill moved forward and took out the remaining HMG platoon, causing the HQ unit to fail motivation and run.

My Humbers moved forward to a position behind the dug in Fusiliers - to try and remove GtG on them in a later turn and dash for the cornfield objective.

In YD's turn his newly arrived infantry assaulted my Highlanders on the hill top, pushing them back. (Damn reluctant rating). However, time was getting on, so we decided to end with a draw. As a little experiment YD's SMG Panzerknacker team tried an assault on my Shermans - mainly as we had never really used tank assault teams before. The final layout of the battle (lacking some smoke puffs):

And some of YD's lovely infantry:

My most useful unit award probably would be a close run thing between the one infantry platoon I had in action, the 17-pounders or - to my surprise - the 25-pounders. Although the Night Fight rules meant the 25-pounders were silent for most of the game.

my 17 pounders following the assault troops

my 25 pounders waiting patiently for a fire mission!

My most useless unit was....

The Bofors AA guns, which didn't fire a shot the whole game!

As games go it was quite quick, although we did bog down a few times (mainly on the assaults). It was also as good natured and fun as ever. It also seems to have given me the kick up the bum I needed to start working on the unpainted units I had taken along for the day, so hopefully I can post some progress updates on them soon.